The Latest: Politico recognizes union; ‘Journalists of color are scared’; The one question to ask your boss

November 9, 2021

Top stories

■ Hearst’s magazine journalists protest a mandatory return to the office (New York Times)

■ Politico recognizes union , extending wave of media labor wins (Bloomberg) / '...we've worked hard to make sure you all feel heard and valued ...' (Read the memo via Andrew Beaujon) / 'The workers appreciate the good faith negotiations that led to this agreement and look forward to continuing that spirit in contract talks. (PEN Guild)

■ ABC News' Jonathan Karl says there are Pence photos at the Capitol on Jan. 6 we may never see (The Wrap)

■ Opinion: Journalists are hooked on polls and they’ll stay that way (Politico) / First look: What your congressional district is Googling (Axios)

■ Twitter’s subscription product, Twitter Blue, launches in the U.S., and yes, it lets you undo tweets (Nieman Lab) / 'You can now get an ad-free experience on the WaPo, LA Times, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic and hundreds more. Your subscription directly funds the journalism you read .' (Tony Haile)

■ Dave Portnoy says Twitter temporarily suspended him for posting email exchange with Insider editor (The Wrap) / Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports wages war on Insider over article about his sexual conduct (Washington Post)

■ Opinion: Indictment of Steele dossier source is more bad news for multiple media outlets (Washington Post)

■ Journalists advocate for legislation to combat misinformation (Harvard Crimson) / Nearly 80% of Americans have been exposed to Covid misinfo , and many don't know what to believe, survey says (CNN)

■ ‘NPR has obtained more than 2 1/2 hours of recordings of ... private meetings after the Columbine shooting, which offer unique insight into the NRA's deliberations in the wake of this crisis — and how it has struggled to develop what has become its standard response to school shootings ever since. … The tapes of the NRA discussions were recorded secretly by a participant and shared on the condition that the participant's name not be divulged. NPR has taken steps to verify the tapes' authenticity, including by confirming the identities of those speaking on the tapes with two sources and comparing the voices on the calls with publicly available audio.’ (NPR)

■ Local Coalition raises over $5.8M to launch nonprofit news organization in Ohio (Ohio Local News Initiative)

■ Illinois becomes the first state to require media literacy classes for high school students (The Progressive) / What will Illinois students learn in media literacy classes? (Axios) / Eleven state legislatures have introduced bills that ‘explicitly ban lessons based on the 1619 Project , an initiative by The New York Times Magazine exploring the history and continuing legacy of slavery that has been adapted into a classroom curriculum.’ (New York Times) / The 1619 Project and the long battle over U.S. history (New York Times)

■ After the Nikole Hannah-Jones blowup, UNC's journalism school is healing , but slowly (Poynter)

■ ‘Journalists of color are scared — I have spoken to journalists who literally — and I am using the word literally correctly here — literally look over their shoulder when they talk about diversity — on Zoom, at home, because they are so scared. They are scared of losing their jobs. They are scared of being backlisted as a trouble maker’ (Variety)

■ Powell’s Books survived Amazon. Can it reinvent itself after the pandemic ? (New York Times)

■ How an Off-Broadway musical games journalism (Columbia Journalism Review)

Press freedom

■ New charges filed against jailed US journalist Danny Fenster in Myanmar (AP)

■ US urges release of Chinese citizen journalist who documented Covid (New York Times) / Opinion: She told the truth about Wuhan . Now she is near death in a Chinese prison. (Washington Post)

■ Along the US-Mexico border, journalism is an act of resistance (Texas Observer)

■ The high price of doing journalism in El Salvador (ProPublica)

■ Journalist killed in explosion in Yemen, with her child (AP)

Thank you to reader Joanne Williams for her donation. Please give now to support The Latest so we can continue bringing you the latest media news, craft tips, leadership advice, and other resources.

"Just because somebody agrees to speak, that doesn’t mean that they fully understand what it entails.

"They may be unclear about the process, what you are going to ask them and how painful that might be, and what is going to happen with their contribution. The idea is to avoid surprises, anything that could cause harm further down the track. Check that both you and your interviewee are clear about the following:

-- Excerpt from the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma's guidance: Does my interviewee fully understand what they are signing up for?

Manager's Minute: What’s one question people should ask their bosses?

Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership, offers the number one question employees should ask their managers.

Manager's Minute: What's one question people should ask their bosses?

Read next: Rule number one of managing your boss — and why it matters

Get more career advice: Read Jill's columns | Watch Manager's Minute videos

Resources

This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

Get this from a friend? Subscribe, and view the archives.

SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. NPCJI is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.

If you value this newsletter, consider supporting The Latest with a tax-deductible, recurring gift to the Institute: Even $5 a month will help fund the technology and time it takes to provide this important service.